


Adrien is Thirsty

by sagansjagger



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Bad Parenting, Cute, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24599302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagansjagger/pseuds/sagansjagger
Summary: When Adrien is forced to consume bottle after bottle of the disgusting Slurpade, the only thing that makes up for it is Marinette bringing him different things to drink.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 50
Kudos: 257
Collections: Miraculous Ladybug and Cat/Chat Noir Reveal





	Adrien is Thirsty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missnoodles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missnoodles/gifts).



Slurpade arrived at the manor by the case.

Adrien’s eyes widened as he saw a moving truck packed to the gills with bottles upon bottles of the Gatorade-knock off. The men unloading the truck set pallet after pallet in his room, in the dining room, in the foyer--soon, Adrien could barely walk without his eyes being assaulted by brightly-colored liquid encased in cheery plastic. 

Gabriel stood at the top of the stairs, his hands clasped behind his back. Adrien wanted to ask him what this was all about, but held his tongue. If he needed to know, his father would tell him.

“Adrien,” Gabriel said, and the slight inflection to his voice made hope curl behind Adrien’s breastbone. It was the tone of voice that the man used to let him know his performances at the piano were adequate. Adrien didn’t know what he’d done to earn the scrap of affection, but he was overjoyed to have it.

“Yes, Father?” Adrien said, hopeful and eager.

Gabriel cleared his throat. “I have signed an endorsement deal with BeverageCo. You will… drink Slurpade on camera. This will be all you drink until the contract is finished.”

Adrien stared at his father, his eyes widening and his heart pounding. “W-What? Okay, I… I can do that. Anything for the brand.”

Gabriel’s lips twitched. Adrien couldn’t tell if the man was amused with him or disappointed in him. From the cold, hard stare Gabriel was giving him, Adrien decided it was the latter. What had he done wrong? Should he not have hesitated?

“That is all,” Gabriel said. “Drink some of this, and figure out what your flavor is. BeverageCo wants an honest endorsement of the product.”

Adrien shrugged his shoulders before he could stop himself. He probably shouldn’t have acted so casual in front of his father. The boy straightened his shoulders and inclined his head. “Yes, sir.”

Gabriel turned on his heel and swept out of the room, and Adrien found the knot behind his breastbone loosening a little.

He approached the nearest plastic-wrapped pallet, a flat of red-colored Slurpade bottles. “Strawberry Surprise?” Adrien read aloud, poking a hole into the plastic and taking out one of the bottles. “With… Stevia. Ah, figures. My father wouldn’t allow me real sugar.”

Adrien cracked it open with another shrug. Then he took a sip.

And immediately gagged. Strawberry Surprise tasted like a moldy piece of fruit had thrown up in his mouth. “Oh. Oh, _gosh_ ,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his lips. 

He couldn’t just throw away the bottle. He never got enough food on his restrictive model diet, so food and drinks were precious. He bit back a groan, and chugged the bottle, choking down the disgusting drink.

This was going to be a long contract.

***

Adrien posed in front of Vincent’s camera, flashing a peace sign and holding up the offending bottle of Melon Maturity-flavored Slurpade. In the three days leading up to the ‘shoot, he’d consumed enough of the loathsome liquid to have his fill of the beverages, and then some. 

The Melon Maturity was… tolerable. It was sickly sweet, but the cantaloupe flavor was the only he could force a plastic smile to his face while… ‘indulging in’ was too strong a phrase. Trying not to gag over? And ‘drink.’ That, too, was too kind of a term for the poisonous potable.

Today, BeverageCo had hired a professional camera crew to _film_ Adrien drinking. He couldn’t chug the bottle this time, or spit the disgusting drink out onto the ground at the Place de Vosges. Not with the world watching him.

One of the crew held up three fingers. “And we’re live in… three, two…” He pointed at Adrien.

Adrien smiled for the camera, trying not to infect the film with the brittleness he felt. He still had several hours of the ‘shoot left, and many, many more bottles to drink.

The only upside to this camera work was that Adrien was encouraged to live up to the drink’s name and slurp his way through it. He was never allowed to make gross noises at home or in public, so he relished the opportunity to passive-aggressively slurp his way through Melon Maturity.

_Sluuuurp._

“Man, I do love me some Slurpade!” Adrien said, infecting the line with all the eagerness he didn’t feel. He knew his eyes looked wide and innocent, because he made them that way. His baby face was a huge part of the brand. He didn’t even know what Gabriel would do if Adrien started growing stubble. 

_Maybe force me to undergo laser hair removal?_ Adrien thought, trying to remain neutral as bitterness--and a small amount of fear--consumed him, just like he was consuming his much-hated liquid refreshment. _I wouldn’t put that past him, but I sure hope not. I want a beard!_

Adrien took another drink, slurping as aggressively as possible, as if by doing so, he could make his secret displeasure known. _Sluuuurp._ He’d long ago figured out how to position his lips--in an ‘o’ just on the edges of the nozzle--to make the loudest and most repulsive noises.

 _Sluuuurp._ “Mmm,” Adrien said, flashing a thumbs up to the camera. “So incredibly refreshing!”

He looked down at his half-full bottle, the yellow liquid glinting in the sunlight through the plastic, and wanted to die.

***

“A-Adrien,” Marinette said, greeting him on the front steps of Dupont as she, too, rushed into the school. An akuma attack had made him late, but seeing his very good friend made arriving with less than his usual punctuality worth it. “I saw your commercial!”

Adrien’s cheerful smile turned splintery without him meaning for it to. “Oh, yeah?” he said, and pushed past her. He didn’t want to hear her gush about his fake performance. The best of his life, if he was being honest with himself, but so false it made him sick. 

She gushed anyway, hurrying to walk next to him. “A-Adrien! I wanted to let you know…” In a move with unusual boldness, she caught his sleeve just as he was reaching for the door to hold it open for her. He turned to face her. 

“Yes, Marinette?” he said, his voice soft. He always had time for her. Marinette let out a little squeak as his gaze fixed on hers. She was panting, he guessed from her run. Clearly there was no other reason for her to be freaked out, right?

“Y-You’re really good at slurping!”

Adrien didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He chose to feel happy, instead, taking her awkward praise into his heart like the precious jewel it was, something he’d look at later and admire all the facets. He chuckled, and opened the door, gesturing for her to walk inside the school. “Let me tell you a secret.”

“What?” Marinette said, leaning into his space. He let her, and stepped even closer to her, to whisper into her ear.

“The stuff tastes awful.”

Her laughter rang out like a bell, clear and tinkling. Adrien stepped back, his grin splitting his face. He leaned his head on the door. Having someone in on the secret felt… It felt great. And having Marinette know was extra special, because she supported him. He wondered if he should tell Marinette more secrets about himself.

“I’m soooo sorry,” Marinette said, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. He leaned into the comforting touch, but almost as soon as her hand had alighted on his arm, she pulled it back as if his shirt had burned her. “That really sucks. How can you stomach it?”

Adrien started walking towards Madame Bustier’s class again. They were going to be ridiculously late at this point; what was a few minutes more? “I can’t. And I’ve drank _so much of it_ lately. My father won’t let me drink anything else.”

Marinette gasped. “That’s terrible,” she said, her soft eyes filled with sympathy. 

Yes. Telling Marinette was a good idea, he decided.

He didn’t know how right he was until the next day.

***

“Here,” Marinette said, plopping a thermos on his desk. “This is for you.”

Adrien blinked up at her. “What is it?”

“A palate cleanser,” Marinette said, beaming at him. He missed her stutter, but he loved to see her being more confident. Maybe she was changed because she was taking care of him? The thought warmed his heart more than he cared to admit. “Pastis.”

“Pastis?” Adrien said, tilting his head. He’d heard of the licorice and anise-flavored drink, but he’d never had it. “Isn’t that supposed to taste like absinthe without being alcoholic?”

“Exactly,” Marinette said, eyes sparkling. “I figured…” And suddenly her shyness and blush were back in full force, pinking her cheeks and making her stare at her feet. “I-I thought I’d bring you a d-drink every day, so you could pick your favorite. A-And then I can just bring that one for you.”

Adrien stared at her, stunned. “You don’t have to do that,” he said, absolutely floored. “But… But thank you, Marinette.” He took her hand in both of his, and beamed. “Thank you.”

She squeaked again. _Adorable,_ Adrien thought. _I’m so glad she’s my friend._

***

“And the taste is awful, Bug,” Chat said, wrinkling his nose as he lay on his back on the top landing of the Eiffel Tower. They’d raced to the top ten minutes ago, and were cooling down together after patrol. “I’m telling you, you need to avoid this stuff if at all possible.” 

Ladybug was sitting next to him, legs dangling off the landing. She laughed and placed a hand on his bent knee, which thrilled him. “Why on earth do you drink it?”

“I have to,” Chat said, sighing. He wiggled his knee back and forth in her grip. “It’s my job.”

“Sucky job.”

“Tell me about it.”

Ladybug laughed again. He loved her laugh, just like he loved all of her. “So tell me, Chat. What’s the name of this stuff, so I can avoid it?”

“Oh, it has the dumbest name, too,” Chat said, shaking his head against the metal girder. “Get a load of this: Slurpade.”

Ladybug went rigid. “S-Slurpade? And you have to drink it for your job?”

“Yeah, but it’s not all bad,” Chat said, pressing on despite the anxiety about Ladybug’s posture licking his brain. “A girl in my class has been bringing me a thermos-full of delicious drinks every day this week to make up for it. Have you ever tried pastis? It’s _amazing._ ”

“P-Pastis?” Ladybug said, placing a hand over her shuddering chest. “I… I have.”

“Bug?” Chat said, sitting up. He gripped her shoulder gently. “You okay?”

“Yeah!” Ladybug said, her eyes widening at the touch. She jerked away from him, and scrambled to her feet. “My earrings are chirping, I’ve gotta go, bye!”

Before he could say another word, she launched herself off the Tower. With a _ziiiiip_ of her yo-yo cable snagging on a rooftop at the bottom, she was gone.

 _What?_ Chat thought, staring dumbly after her. _What the heck was that about?_

***

Marinette continued to bring him drinks. Some were classics, like hot chocolate. Others were new, like a citrus peach cooler. Adrien especially preferred the non-alcoholic watermelon mojito. 

As the month of the contract continued, Marinette had become brash and confident, her hand alighting on his often and her smiles huge. He liked the new side of her, and wondered what had changed. Her eyes lit up upon seeing him, and he wondered what funny story or witty joke she’d tell him when bringing his drinks. 

But to his shock, _Ladybug_ had started bringing him drinks, too. Her attitude about spending time together--which was to be a once in a while thing, and only after patrol--had done a complete one-eighty. Now she was lingering on the rooftops with him, leaning into his cautious, exploratory touches and embracing him frequently. 

Their relationship had totally changed. He wondered--hoped against hope, really--if she had caught feelings for him. 

Adrien still had to choke down the offensive Slurpade, but he was almost grateful to his father for signing this contract, as it meant he’d get to spend time with his two favorite ladies. 

That all changed when Gabriel addressed him exactly one month after he’d been told to guzzle pallet after pallet of the abhorrent abomination. 

“Adrien,” Gabriel said, standing at the top of the stairs with his hands behind his back. “Your vulgar slurping on camera comes to an end today. BeverageCo was satisfied with your participation in the photoshoots, despite my thoughts that your performances were subpar.”

Adrien’s heart sank like a stone into his belly. He’d have to inform both Marinette and Ladybug that his contract was up. They no longer had to bring him drinks. His relationships with each of them would go back to the way they had been before. “Yes, Father.” 

“BeverageCo wanted another contract with us, but I won’t have you making those disgusting noises again,” Gabriel said, with a thunderous frown. “It’s almost as if you were doing them on purpose.”

“Of course not, Father,” Adrien said, windmilling his hands. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to upset you.”

“Good,” Gabriel said, with a calculating gaze. He turned away. “You’re dismissed.”

Adrien moped in his room all afternoon.

***

“Marinette,” Adrien said, as she plopped her usual thermos in front of him. He didn’t want to tell her this, but he must. “You don’t have to bring me drinks anymore. My contract with BeverageCo is up.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect her beaming grin, nor did he expect the way his heart started thumping. “That’s all right, Adrien. I really like bringing you drinks,” she said, touching his cheek boldly. He leaned into the touch. “Maybe I can graduate to bringing you lunch instead?”

Adrien blinked stupidly at her. Then his brain caught up with his ears. “Would you?” he said, his voice tinged with awe. “I would love that! And I can bring you lunch, too! I mean, I can’t cook or anything, so it would be take out, but maybe we can go out to a restaurant or something, I have an allowance that’s just sitting there and doing nothing…”

Marinette flushed to her roots. “Are… Are you asking me out on a date?”

Adrien realized that he was. His feelings for Ladybug reared their head, but he stuffed them. He was just getting to know Marinette better, that’s all. It wasn’t like they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Yet. He took her hands. “Is that okay?”

Marinette bit her lip. Then she nodded shyly. “But I have a secret to tell you first.”

“A secret?” Adrien said, leaning forward. They’d shared many secrets over the past month, and he was delighted to hear one more. “What is it?”

Her breath tickled his ear as she whispered into it. “I’ll tell you at the top of the Eiffel Tower… Chat.”

Adrien started. His mind went a million miles an hour, settling on a single, tantalizing thought. “B-Bug?” he said quietly, his fingers tightening on hers like a lifeline. “Is it really you?”

She winked at him. Adrien rocketed up to cloud nine.

“Oh,” he breathed. “It’s you. I wanted it to be you.”

Marinette kissed his cheek. “How about that date? Do still want to go out with me?”

Adrien couldn’t stop smiling. His beaming grin made his cheeks hurt. “I’d love to,” he said, brushing nose against her cheek. He pulled back. “As long as there’s no Slurpade.”

She laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Are you interested in reading or writing fanfiction? Are you looking for a community of like-minded and supportive people? Then join the [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) Discord server! 
> 
> We are always welcoming new members, and would love to see you. We offer a variety of conversations, from fic discussions to writing support to fanfiction prompts. We even have monthly server-wide events and group writing projects! 
> 
> Come join today!


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